Jodie Whittaker had 'panic attack' after Doctor Who casting

Jodie Whittaker has admitted she was terrified she'd let the cat out of the bag when she was cast as Doctor Who

Jodie Whittaker had a "massive panic attack" about keeping her 'Doctor Who' casting a secret.

The 35-year-old actress has admitted she was overcome with nerves when she found out that Chris Chibnall - who she worked with on 'Broadchurch' - had chosen her to play the titular character in the forthcoming series of the sci-fi drama because she was worried she'd let the cat out of the bag before they'd made their big announcement in July.

Speaking on 'Lorraine' on Tuesday (08.08.17), she said: "I didn't know details but I knew there was going to be an attempt at a really brilliant reveal. And I did not, I have got super bad paranoia, so I was like, 'Did I tell you that? Sorry. Was I supposed to tell you that?' You know that awful thing of 'Was I supposed to tell you that?' Obviously I've had five years of 'Broadchurch' to know, 'OK, I'm not sure if I told you that, but if I did, don't tell anyone...' I also had a massive panic about it as I was a bit like I can't remember what I was told I'm not allowed to say..."

The brunette beauty even spent months "whispering" on the phone in her flat in case anyone overheard her talking to Chibnall - who has taken over from departing show runner Steven Moffat - about where he was planning to take the role with the new series in 2018.

She explained: "There was just this thing of, in July this will happen and if we could get it to be this really amazing moment... and also for me I got to live a pretty anonymous life until then. So it was within my benefit to have that reveal happen. I was just lying left right and centre. Talking to my agent and [showrunner] Chris Chibnall, obviously we were speaking a lot, I'd get so paranoid if my phone was on the table and his name would ping up and I'd be like well, people won't associate it with that as people know we're friends from 'Broadchurch'. You just become a massive narcissist like, everything's about me... everyone is looking at me all the time. I think I was incredibly melodramatic the whole time. I talked like this [in a whisper] in my flat for months."

But Jodie - who will take over from Peter Capaldi in the festive special - is really excited to get stuck into the role and hopes it will give young girls inspiration to chase after their dreams.

She said: "It's really exciting. It's got a huge audience and a huge fan base and a loyal, wonderful fan base. Maybe this will open it up to maybe some new young faces that haven't necessarily been introduced to it yet. Because you forget that, if I'm the thirteenth, there's so much to watch and catch up on. It doesn't matter what age you come into it, you've got this wealth of amazing television to watch and to be a part of that is, I've said so many times, is really emotional and overwhelming - completely overwhelming. When I was told there was no like, 'Yeah thanks, thanks', it was like 'Agghhh [pretends to cry] are you kidding? OK, thanks!' Really, really smooth. You can't get a job like this and not be knocked sideways."